Looking for a 4X4 classic

[EccentricDyslexic]

Hi all,

I am a classics man, Citroens generally (well, exclusively at the mo!) but am looking for a 4WD for winter snowy conditions.

It has to be tax exempt, so pre 1973 ideally. Not fussed what it is really, but it will be cared for and kept for future winters...(and maybe some green lane-ing!)

Budget upto £3k

Any sugestions?

Ta chaps

Steve

[joeminimad1]

Hi Steve

Not tax exempt but I have a 1994 1.6 petrol (classic? 17 years old... maybeee!) Daihatsu Sportrak, feel of a classic with modern reliability, removable hardtop, fresh MOT I had it up for £1295 but a grand will buy it for a fellow forum user! Joe in bristol 07834697366

p.s full details in the cars for sale section!

[TerryG]

You will easily be able to get a Series 3 Land Rover for that money. It won't be warm, comfortable or glamarous but it will always get you where you want to go. An early Range Rover would tick the warm, comfort and style boxes but you will struggle to get a decent tax exempt one for under £3k. On the plus side if you do find one more or less everything is avaliable off the shelf, more modern leather seats just bolt straight in, same for the later dash and heater, bigger engines, etc if you do want to do some upgrades.
This one is sold but at £3.5k it looks like it was a steal:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOLD-SOLD-197 ... 0603533100

[vintagemotor]

What about a Fiat Panda 4x4? They are unusual, cheap to run and getting thin on the ground now

[rich.]

diahatsu fourtrack.. great off road & great for pulling modern range rovers etc out of the ditch

[Maaarrghk]

Not tax exempt, but I too would vouch for the Daihatsu, having had one a few years back.

You can't get more classic than the Landy, but the Daihatsu was much more comfy and warm.

Get a Sportrack instead of a Fourtrack and you can take the top off in summer.

[TerryG]

If you are going for a newish car (90s) then there are many more options available. A proper Range Rover classic for starters (I'm biased as I have had 3), a p38 is a bargain but they don't enjoy a good reputation for reliability. The Mitsubishi Shogun will be bomb proof, a Toyota Hilux Surf (if you can find one). If you want something smaller then even a Suzuki vitara has 4wd as long as you don't mind the hairdresser reputation. They are horrible and the 4x4 is about as much use as a chocolate fire guard (in my opinion) but a Rav4 would be as cheap as a vitara and a bit less hairdresserish.
Going a bit newer still the Land Rover Freelander is perfectly capable in snow, it hasn't got great ground clearance but it is a nice comfy car. Renault does a weird looking 4x4 but I can't remember what it's called.
There is almost as much variety in the 4x4 world as there is in the classic one. The biggest style choice to make is between the classic English design but less comfort or Japanese reliability but no classic status. Whichever you chose it will be more capable in the snow than a traditional 2wd car BUT most importantly it won't stop or steer any better. Last winter I saw no end of 4x4 in hedges, ditches and one straddling a road stuck between a fence and a hedge because their drivers think that 4x4 means they can drive like it's a summer's day even in a blizzard. There are lots of funny clips and images on various land rover sites of what inexperienced drivers think they can do in the snow with their green oval product.

[MidgetSaab]

I'd go fo a Panda 4x4 and not worry about the tax, the fuel saving on a Landie will cover that. Years ago a Car & Car conversions magazine writer wondered what use they were until one pulled his rally car out of a ditch.

[Willy Eckerslyke]

I've a lot of respect for the 4X4 Panda, but buying a Fiat to use on salt laden winter roads would be tempting fate a bit!

For low mileages, a Series Land Rover is one of the cheapest vehicles you can find to run. And with their values steadily climbing, now is the time to buy a decent one.

[vintagemotor]

We had a couple of the 4x4 Panda's on the ambulance service here in Shropshire, they really would go anywhere and were quite nippy but they had a habit of backfiring up the carb and setting fire to the air cleaner hence we didn't have them for that long, the one was burned out completely